'No thoughts' yet on life after presidency

THE SPECULATION about President Mary McAleese’s successor may be mounting, but she gave no hints about her own plans after her…

THE SPECULATION about President Mary McAleese’s successor may be mounting, but she gave no hints about her own plans after her presidency ends next year. She told reporters in Moscow that she had not given the matter any thought yet.

Asked if former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev gave her any advice when she met him on Wednesday, she laughed and said, “No, we didn’t get around to that”.

She said jokingly that she got “a very good job offer” from the diplomatic academy of the ministry of foreign affairs, where an honorary doctorate was conferred on her yesterday morning.

Mrs McAleese said she really had not thought about what she would do after the 14-year stint at Áras an Uachtaráin ended.

“That’s the truth. There’s just so much to be done between now and November a year away.”

She said she had another State visit to Denmark coming up next month and incoming State visits.

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Alison Healy

Alison Healy

Alison Healy is a contributor to The Irish Times